BALTIMORE — It was certainly an odd turn of events. About 13 hours after Justify had splashed to victory in the Kentucky Derby, becoming the first horse since 1882 to win the race without having competed as a 2-year-old, he was trotted out of Barn 33 at Churchill Downs to mug for the cameras and soak up the glory. Instead he was agitated and unable to put much weight on his left hind leg.
His Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, did not notice anything wrong with his leg at the time, nor did the assembled crowd of news media and onlookers, but video of the appearance found its way onto social media and soon speculation swirled: Was Justify lame?